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Ana awoke gasping for air. Sitting up, she clutched the cool sheet to her chest and blinked away the darkness. Her heart pounded. She hadn’t had that nightmare for months.
Wrapping her arms around her legs, she dropped her head onto her knees. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, again and again, just like she’d learned in yoga.
You’re okay. You’re alive. You got out. You survived.
But he was going to find her. He was going to hurt her again.
Ana lifted her head and ran her hands down her face. No. He wouldn’t find her. He’d never look for her thousands of kilometres away in a tiny rural town.
Would he?
Ana threw back the sheets and climbed out of bed. Gazing out the window, she was glad to see the glow of the dawn because she’d never get back to sleep now.
She went downstairs, flipping on lights. A cup of tea would help settle her nerves. Black? Camomile? No, peppermint. Definitely peppermint.
She set the jug to boil, then moved to the back door. Louis lay against the screen on his back, fast asleep with his legs in the air and his white belly exposed. Ana felt bad for disturbing him, but if anything would make her feel better, it was puppy cuddles.
She slid open the door and Louis jolted awake. He scrambled to his feet, wagging his tail and greeting her with a happy smile. Ana drew him inside, made her tea, then sat at the table with her steaming mug. Louis settled at her feet and lay his head on his paws. Sipping the sweet brew, she reminded herself that she was okay. She was safe.
But the moment dawn broke, she called her mum, thanking God for daylight savings and that Sydney was an hour ahead of her. Not that Nadia would have minded if Ana had woken her. She pressed the phone to her ear and waited. For once, Ana was glad that her mum didn’t have an iPhone or FaceTime.
‘Hey, Mama. Sorry it’s early ...’
‘Not at all, sweetheart. Are you okay?’
Ana took a deep breath and rubbed Louis with her foot. He rolled over to expose his belly. ‘I’m all right. I just ... I had the nightmare again. About that night. I’m fine,’ she hastened to assure her. ‘Honestly. I suppose I just wanted to talk to you.’
‘Of course, Ana. That’s what I’m here for.’
Ana smiled. She’d phoned Nadia earlier in the week to catch up and tell her about work, but right now, Ana just needed to hear her mum’s voice. ‘I know.’
‘So ... do you want to talk about it?’
‘Not really. Not about that night. But I am still afraid, Mama.’
It had been a long road. Only three years ago, she’d thought she’d found her happily ever after. Her puppy had been born and she’d been eagerly awaiting his ‘gotcha day’. A gorgeous, romantic man had stolen her heart and then ...
Ana closed her eyes. She’d seen her psychologist weekly after the incident with Rick and had worked hard to improve her confidence, self-esteem, and reduce her anxieties. Some things still triggered her trauma, like the fighting and yelling that had happened last night, but deep down, the fear lingered. And now that Rick was out of prison ...
‘Ana, it’s okay. I know it can’t be easy, but you’ve done one of the best things you could by moving there. And there’s been no word about Rick. I know he’s only been out for a week, but he hasn’t found Natalia or me, so I doubt he’s located you, sweetie. And that’s if he’s bothering to look. He may not be as vengeful as we feared.’
‘Yeah, maybe ...’ But Ana wasn’t sure about that. She knew Rick. He needed to win. ‘Just promise me you won’t take any chances.’
‘I promise, Ana. Don’t worry about us, we’ll stay safe. As long as you promise me you won’t let Rick ruin anything you could have in the future.’
Ana frowned and sipped her tea. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Natalia told me you’ve met a man.’
‘Oh.’ She gazed into her mug, not sure what to say. She wanted to smile, but a ball of dread had formed in her belly. ‘Yeah. But since I don’t plan to stay here, I don’t think ...’ Ana ran her hand down her face. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t pretend what she felt for Liam wasn’t real. ‘Oh, Mama, I don’t know what to do.’
She could almost hear her mother’s smile. ‘How about you start by telling me about him?’
And as she did, Ana’s shoulders loosened. She shoved Rick from her mind and focused on the positives as the sun rose. Their conversation lasted through breakfast.
* * *
That afternoon, Ana braved the heat and humidity as she walked over to Station Drive to visit Meg. She had a lovely home—a small three-bedroom brick house with a formal living area at the front, the kitchen separated by a sliding door, and another sitting room at the back. Ana complimented her home and its simple yet elegant décor.
‘It’s all right,’ Meg agreed as they sat at the dining table with Diet Cokes between them, ‘but I don’t plan to be here forever. It isn’t fun living alone.’
Ana resisted a sigh as Meg absently spun the can round on the table. That was it. Meg commented on her single, unwed status often enough to raise Ana’s concerns.
‘Well ... what’s going on between you and Jack? Do you like him?’
‘No, there’s ...’ She stared at her drink, an array of emotions passing through her eyes. ‘We’re just friends. That ship ... sailed long ago.’
Meg took a drink. Ana waited, but her friend didn’t elaborate. Oh well, she’d broached the subject, but Meg obviously didn’t want to talk about herself.
‘Okay. Well, since you don’t seem to mind talking about other people, can I ask you something?’
Meg’s gaze returned to Ana’s. ‘Sure.’
‘Um ... why is Liam still single?’
A smile curved her friend’s mouth. ‘I thought you weren’t interested.’
‘I never said that. I said nothing has happened between us.’
‘But you want it to?’
Ana shrugged and sipped her drink. Meg just laughed.
‘Well, you’d think someone would have snatched him up. He did have a serious girlfriend once.’
‘The one he wanted to open the café with?’
‘He told you about her?’
‘Not really.’
‘Oh. Yeah, he and Diane were going to open the café. You could say they were high school sweethearts, although they didn’t actually “date” until their early twenties. Friends first, you know? Diane was from Mareeba, where we all went to high school, and she wanted to learn to cook. So, she became Wendy Maguire’s assistant at High Ridge. But when Liam started talking about building a house, she ran off to the city.’
Ana’s eyebrows shot up. ‘She didn’t want to settle down?’
‘Not sure, but she’d always wanted a city life. I never thought she was right for Liam anyway.’ Meg’s smile brightened. ‘I saw the way you two were dancing last night though. Sparks were flying so much I almost got zapped!’
Ana’s belly warmed at the memory. ‘Yeah, it was nice. But I don’t know, Meg. I’m not really looking for a relationship right now.’
‘Because you just moved to town?’
‘Yeah, but also because ...’
Sighing, Meg leaned towards her. ‘Okay. What happened, Ana? I’m sorry and I don’t mean to pry, but I sense there’s something you haven’t told me. And I saw you last night. You were frightened when Adam and Paul started fighting.’
Ana swallowed the lump in her throat as Meg reached across the table and placed her hand over hers.
‘If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But whatever it is, don’t let it stop you from starting something with Liam. He’s a great guy.’
Taking her hand from beneath Meg’s, Ana fiddled with the flip-top on her drink. She didn’t want to hide her past forever and she didn’t need to. She wasn’t ashamed and had no reason to be. And she liked Meg, so she could tell her even though Meg refused to talk about her own frail love-life.
‘All right. But if I tell you, we need to talk about you afterwards.’
Meg shrugged. ‘Fine, but I’m a very uninteresting story.’
Ana doubted that. Taking another sip of her drink, she searched for the right words. ‘I was engaged. His name was Rick and he literally swept me off my feet. He took pride in giving me gifts and taking me to flash places, which was nice since I was still a uni student. He proposed a month before I graduated. We’d only been together for a year, so it took me by surprise, but I said yes. I loved him, you see? So, I got my first job, moved in with him ... and then Rick became abusive.’ Ana paused for another sip before continuing. ‘One night, not long after I brought Louis home, Rick hit me. It really did seem like an accident. He turned around so quickly and I was in the way. He apologised and I forgave him. But a few weeks later, it happened again, and I realised it hadn’t been an accident.’
‘Oh, Ana.’ Meg took Ana’s hand again, entwining their fingers. ‘I’m sorry.’
Ana smiled sadly. ‘Thanks. It was almost three years ago now and I feel I’ve moved on. I know it’s not supposed to be common, although domestic violence is ridiculously abundant. So, I’m not holding back out of fear of it happening again. But Rick ... there’d been no reason for it. In the beginning, he’d been wonderful. But even though I didn’t realise it at the time, he isolated me from my uni friends. After we were engaged and I had moved in, he became quite controlling, always wanting to know where I went and who I was seeing. He’d complain when I bought anything or spent too much money, which wasn’t much at all. Besides, we had separate bank accounts, so it wasn’t his business.’
Ana remembered like it was yesterday and her bones began to ache. ‘The second time he hit me, it was completely out of the blue. He came home so angry and he took it out on me. And it wasn’t just a few slaps, Meg. He pushed me into walls. Kicked and punched and slapped and ... oh God, it was horrible.’
Ana glanced at their hands and swallowed, gathering the strength to continue. ‘I lay on the floor, unable to move. Then he literally tossed Louis across the back deck.’ She exhaled. ‘I screamed. He was only a puppy! So, with a broken wrist, a few cracked ribs and aching like hell, I took Louis and got out of there. I pressed charges and considering my injuries, which involved internal bleeding and a long stay in hospital, he was arrested. For three months, I lived in fear while he was out on bail, but then the trial happened and they sentenced Rick to five years in prison. He only served thirty months.’ She paused and swallowed. ‘They let him out a week ago. And I know he wants revenge. He told me during the court proceedings that I’d be sorry for pressing charges. He was so adamant and mean about it, so I know he meant it. I couldn’t relive the fear I had before the trial, so I applied for a job outside of Sydney. And here I am.’
With a soft smile, Meg squeezed Ana’s hand. ‘It must be hard to have that as your reason for coming here.’
Ana nodded slowly. ‘I’ve always considered teaching at a rural school, so I’m glad I came. But I had thought I’d only move a few hours outside of Sydney. I always liked the idea of Cowra.’
‘Well, I’ve never been to Cowra, but I’m glad you found our little town.’
Ana managed a smile. ‘Me too. And if things were different, I’d like to start something with Liam. But I don’t plan to stay in Elizadale, Meg. I think the best way to remain safe is to keep moving.’
‘But you don’t want to be running for the rest of your life. Don’t you want roots?’
Ana’s heart twisted inside her chest. ‘Of course. And no, I don’t want to keep running, but I don’t know what else to do. Even twelve months in one place seems too long when I don’t know what Rick’s up to. I sort of hope he’ll give up looking when he realises I’m no longer in Sydney. Surely he can’t search all of Australia.’
‘No. But I’m glad you got out, Ana.’
‘People say it’s tough, pressing charges. But it wasn’t for me. He left me broken and after what he did to Louis ...’ Ana bit back her fury, her hand clenching against her thigh. ‘Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt. The vet said he was just sore, and he was quite timid after that. But we helped each other recover. Nothing is worth staying in an abusive relationship for, so it wasn’t hard to leave. It was just difficult to keep Rick away afterwards. The trial was tough and I was terrified, but I had many people in my corner. And now ... this is what’s difficult. I’ve uprooted my life and have to live in perpetual fear, never knowing if I’ll turn around one day and find him there.’
Ana took a deep breath as tears threatened to brew.
‘I can’t imagine what that feels like, Ana. And I don’t know why people need to be so cruel. To hit someone like that ...’ Meg exhaled and squeezed Ana’s hand. ‘You’re a strong woman. Don’t forget that.’
Ana didn’t feel very strong right now. In fact, she was defenceless. What if Rick did find her? What would she do? She could pretend she was okay with her plan, but Meg was right. She didn’t want to spend her life running and constantly looking over her shoulder.
‘You’ll be safe in Elizadale, Ana. Trust me. None of us will let anything happen to you. Especially Liam.’
Ana raised her eyebrows. ‘Yeah?’
‘Liam wouldn’t let anything happen to a stranger, let alone someone he cares about. He’s honestly there for everyone and always responds in a crisis. I’ve called him plenty of times if my car broke down or I needed help to move something. He doesn’t have a hero complex or anything, he just likes to help. Even if it’s a bad or strange or embarrassing situation, he’s there for you.’ Meg laughed lightly. ‘One night, Lucy got herself in a pickle when she spent a few steamy hours in the back of her LandCruiser with her secret lover. They forgot to turn the headlights off and drained the battery. She called Liam to come get her and she wasn’t in a decent state, let me tell you.’
Ana returned Meg’s smile, her heart lightening.
‘But the point is,’ Meg continued, ‘you can depend on Liam for anything. And no one will hurt you out here, Ana.’
Ana nodded slowly. She believed Meg, but preferring to think of anything else, she asked, ‘Lucy had a secret lover?’
Meg sighed. ‘Yeah. It was years ago and Lucy refuses to discuss it, even with me, her best friend of twenty years.’
‘Hmm ...’ Ana frowned, puzzled. ‘That’s interesting.’
‘Yeah, but Lucy’s always had her secrets. One day, she came here and cried for three hours. I held her while she just cried. She never told me what was wrong. But the next day, she seemed fine again.’
Ana raised her eyebrows. Lucy’s situation sounded more mysterious than Meg’s story with Jack. ‘Did these events happen around the same time?’
‘No, the crying was last year.’
‘Oh. Probably not related, then.’
‘Doubt it. But yeah, if anything escalates, you should take a shot with Liam.’
‘I’ll see,’ Ana sighed, finishing her Diet Coke.
Meg shook her empty can. ‘Yeah, let’s have another.’
‘I’ll get them.’ Ana gathered the cans and stood. ‘But when I get back, we’re going to talk about you.’
‘Whatever.’
Ana strode into the kitchen. She’d get through to Meg even if it killed her. Placing the cans in the recycling, she turned to the fridge, grabbed two more, and stepped towards the doorway.
And froze.
A snake lay in the corner of Meg’s kitchen. Its brown body curled around itself, but there was no mistaking how long it was. Ana’s heart started to hammer. She swallowed, searching for her voice as she remembered what she’d always been told and stood very, very still.
‘Meg!’ The word came out like a squeak.
A chair scraped along the tiles. ‘What?’
‘Snake!’
Seconds of silence filled the air. ‘Where?’
‘In the corner by the stove.’
‘Okay.’ Meg’s voice hitched and Ana clutched the cans tighter. ‘Don’t move.’
Meg came through the hallway to enter the kitchen behind Ana. She gripped Ana’s wrist until she almost yelped. ‘Shit.’
The snake moved. They both screamed.
‘Get on the bench! Ana, on the bench!’
Meg pushed her towards the kitchen bench. They clambered onto it. Ana shook as she sat back on her heels. The snake’s long length stretched along the kitchen tiles. It was over a metre.
‘Okay.’ Meg took a few deep breaths, her eyes wide. ‘I think it’s a taipan.’
‘A taipan!’
Meg shushed her and prised the cans from Ana’s hands.
‘Sorry,’ Ana said. ‘I’ve just never seen a snake before. Apart from at Taronga Zoo, but it was in a glass cabinet and didn’t have the ability to kill you! How do you know it’s a taipan?’
‘Because of its head shape. I could be wrong, but I know snakes well enough. Ana, pass me the phone.’
‘The phone.’ Panicking, Ana looked around frantically. ‘Where’s the phone?’
‘Down there.’ Meg pointed to the other end of the bench. Ana crawled over, picked up the landline and handed it to Meg. Her fingers trembled as she dialled. Ana kept her eyes on the snake.
‘Jack!’ Meg cried. If Ana wasn’t so scared, she’d have laughed. ‘I have a taipan in my house. I think. A snake, definitely. Can you come get it for me!?’
Ana took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. It made sense that Jack knew what to do with a snake, but who else would Meg call?
‘Ana and I are on the kitchen bench ... it’s by the stove. Thanks, Jack!’ Meg hung up. ‘“Don’t panic,” he says. Yeah right. Ana, grab one of those knives.’
Ana pulled a knife from the block and handed it to Meg, then grabbed her own. ‘What are the knives for?’
‘I don’t know, but I feel safer.’
‘I guess. So, you called Jack?’
‘Jack knows how to catch them.’
‘Have you had a snake in the house before?’
‘We get them a bit around here, but I’ve never had a snake in this house. You do need to be mindful though, Ana. Snakes love farms and the tropics.’
‘I’m so moving after this.’
‘No, you can’t leave! It’s just a stupid snake. It’s one of those things you get when you live in the country. Hence why God made men.’
‘To catch snakes?’
‘They need to be good for something. I don’t care what anyone else says. As a woman, there are some things I shouldn’t have to do.’
‘True.’ Ana took a deep breath, but it didn’t steady her. ‘How’d it get in?’
‘Probably through the doggy door. Oh no!’ Meg dropped her knife and scurried off the other side of the breakfast bar. ‘Lola’s snoozing on the lounge. I have to get her. If she comes in here, that snake will eat her!’
Ana tossed her legs over the other side of the bench to follow. ‘Should I—’
‘No, stay there. Do not take your eye off that snake.’
Ana nodded, turning back to keep her eye on Mr Taipan while Meg rushed down the hallway. Of course, she couldn’t leave the snake unattended. What if it hid in the pantry and lunged at Meg later when she was making dinner? Ana shuddered, listening to Meg’s footsteps as she opened and closed doors.
‘I put her in the spare room.’ Meg clambered back onto the bench. ‘Hopefully Jack won’t be much longer.’
Twenty minutes later, Jack called out and came in through the hallway. Seeing them both, he took off his hat and grinned. ‘Look at you two armed and dangerous.’
Meg glared at him. ‘Shut up. Get the snake out of my house, Jack, then you can laugh at me.’
Jack placed his hands on his hips as he studied the snake. ‘Yeah, taipan all right. What were you doing?’
‘Ana came in for drinks.’
His dark eyes gleamed. ‘Then you both huddled onto the bench with knives?’
Meg continued to glare. ‘Shut up.’
Adam strode in armed with what Ana assumed was the snake catching tool and bag. ‘Where’s our boy? Whoa, he’s a big boy, aren’t ya, mate?’
‘Hold the bag, Adam.’ Jack took the metal tool and moved towards the snake.
Meg clutched Ana’s hand. Ana squeezed back to reassure her even though she was scared out of her wits. But she had faith that Jack knew what he was doing.
‘Not going to hurt you, mate. You’re just a little lost, aren’t ya?’
Jack had the snake caught before Ana could even freak out. He dropped it into the bag and Adam twisted the top closed before taking the metal catchers from Jack.
‘I’ll pop him in the ute.’
Adam left. Ana blew out her breath and put her knife down.
‘Thanks, Adam!’ Meg called.
‘Thank God that’s over,’ Ana said as Meg slid off the bench.
‘Thank you, Jack.’
‘Anytime, darlin’.’
He drew Meg to his side and she wrapped her arms around his waist. Ana smiled. They sure made a gorgeous couple.
‘You know I’ll always come. He was a big nasty boy too.’
‘Still. You’re the best. You and Adam want a beer?’
‘Nah, we’ve gotta go,’ he said and Meg stepped away. ‘We’ll release old mate by some rocks and then we’ve got a few things to do. Raincheck though, darlin’?’
‘Of course.’
‘Just keep your doors and windows closed, Meg. Especially at this time of year when it’s still so dry. And don’t forget to clean your floor. Snakes carry all sorts of diseases. Call me if you have any more slithery friends visit. Same goes, Ana.’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll scream like a girl and have someone over real fast.’
Jack laughed. ‘Okay, ladies. Take care.’
Ana hopped off the bench and walked with Jack and Meg to the door, unable to thank him enough.
‘Anytime.’ Jack tipped his hat and swaggered towards his ute. Ana and Meg waved until he took off down Station Drive.
‘God, that was scary,’ Ana said.
Meg visibly shuddered. ‘I can’t stand snakes. They freak me out.’
Ana couldn’t withhold her grin. ‘Good thing you’ve got Jack, isn’t it?’
Meg rolled her eyes and headed towards the laundry. ‘Yeah, yeah. I’m going to mop that floor. Shut those doors, would you, Ana?’